NFL Week 6 Overnights: Three Of Four Windows Lower; "SNF" Rises For Giants-Broncos

October 16, 2017

The NFL saw ratings decline again in Week 6. CBS led the way with a 14.0 overnight for its national window, which saw the previously undefeated Chiefs lose to the Steelers in 86% of markets. That is CBS’ best figure for the ’17 season to date, but also marks the lowest Week 6 national window, regardless of network, since CBS drew a 13.5 in ’06, when the same teams were featured in the national window. Dating back to '06, eight Week 6 national windows were carried by Fox, with six of those involving the Cowboys, and, generally, larger market sizes than those of CBS national windows. Last year, Fox carried the Week 6 national window, drawing a 17.4 for Cowboys-Packers. CBS also drew an 8.5 overnight yesterday for its regional window at 1:00pm ET, down from what Fox had last year. CBS had fewer games in that window than in previous years. Meanwhile, NBC last night drew a 10.9 overnight for Giants-Broncos on “SNF,” up 21% from Colts-Texans last year in Week 6, which was easily NBC’s least-watched “SNF” of the ’16 season. The Giants had a 14-point halftime lead, leading to a peak rating of 11.7 from 9:30-10:00pm. But the game still delivered NBC a primetime win among all nets last night. Denver led all markets with a 38.2 local rating. N.Y. finished seventh with a 14.3 local rating. Fox carried the singleheader game yesterday, but without any Cowboys or Giants games in the window, that dropped compared to CBS in Week 6 last year (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).

NFL WEEK 6 SUNDAY OVERNIGHT RATINGS

NET

'17 TELECAST

RAT.

'16 NET

'16 TELECAST

RAT.

Fox

(single)

9.9

CBS

(single)

11.2

CBS

(regional)

8.5

Fox

(regional)

9.8

CBS

Steelers-Chiefs (86%)

14.0

Fox

Cowboys-Packers (86%)

17.4

NBC

Cowboys-Broncos

10.9

NBC

Colts-Texans

9.0

NO MORE STAR GAZING: In Dallas, Barry Horn noted Packers-Cowboys last week drew a 30.0 local rating in the Dallas-Ft. Worth market airing in Fox' 4:30pm ET national window. That figure is down 19% from the same window last year in Week 6 on Fox for the same matchup (37.0 rating). Cowboys ratings have been "down all season." Through five games, the Cowboys have averaged a 30.3 local rating, down 4% from a 31.5 at the same point last year (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/15).

BARBER SHOP: In Baltimore, David Zurawik writes Fox' Ronde Barber during Bears-Ravens yesterday "failed to develop a natural story line that would have had real resonance for Baltimore fans" -- the fact that Bears S Adrian Amos and CB Kyle Fuller went to "Baltimore high schools." Barber was "praising Fuller’s play all day, so he could have easily made the homecoming into a great ongoing story line." Zurawik: "The other thing that drove me nuts were the calls Barber was making on penalties." Barber was "really irritating in his certainty on the correctness of calls going against the Ravens, while instantly rejecting a call that finally went the Ravens' way in the first half." Play-by-play announcer Sam Rosen and the production team "bear just as much blame for not emphasizing the Fuller-Amos-homecoming story line." That is "not all on Barber." In fact, reminding viewers of story lines like that is "often the job of the play-by-play announcer" (Baltimore SUN, 10/16).

PAIN MANAGEMENT: USA TODAY's Lindsay Jones writes injuries "happen every year, but this season feels especially brutal." After only six weeks, the league has "already lost some its biggest stars" in Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, Texans DE J.J. Watt, Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. and Patriots WR Julian Edelman. Jones: "Losing star power like this can't help lagging TV ratings" (USA TODAY, 10/16).